Alma SIS

Glad we're using Alma

Pros:

Unlike other SIS's, Alma actually looks and feels like it was made in the 2010's. The system is solid, and has essentially every feature a smaller school like ours would want (and many more that we don't need to use). The gradebook is excellent, and it's easy to transfer classes and students from year-to-year. Their customer service has been great (we accidentally deleted multiple report cards in different places the other day and they quickly and helpfully solved our issue by restoring to a backup), and they are continually adding features and improving the platform. And the cost has been at least 50% less than quotes we were getting from major competitors. Many reasons to switch to Alma.

Cons:

The latest transcripts update was helpful - there are still a couple of features we'd like on the transcripts front, but that's mostly because our school has a unique curriculum. This is totally just a personal preference, but I'd also like to be able to search for classes in the search feature in addition to contacts.

Alma Software Review (SBG school)

Comments: Support has been very helpful, typically it seems we have questions that either haven't been asked before or are not implemented yet. Faculty/staff is able to access the reports tab which helps them track students and contacts quickly and has access to student records and class schedules.

Pros:

Alma is easier than our former software and allows us to use our Standards Based Grading which is our priority. Parents were able to quickly learn how to use the system and the attendance feature is great. Students were also able to learn the system and although it doesn't have a comprehensive calendar with their schedules and our school activities, they were able to use the daily tab to track their classes.

Cons:

The calendar is static and unable to be exported to phones/other calendars so we had to create an app for that. The reports are not as in-depth as needed and we aren't able to save our filters/criteria that we use often. They are still working on SBG reporting so many items we aren't able to track as we typically do through reports. The report card set up is limited for what we need in our report cards; we had to use every work-around to get a report card as we needed, but they do work now.

Alternatives Considered: PraxiSchool and Schoology

Reasons for Choosing Alma SIS: K-12 was trying to start Standards Based Grading but didn't meet our deadline.

Switched From: Blackbaud K-12 Solutions

Reasons for Switching to Alma SIS: It has what we needed for Standard Based Grading both in assignments and report cards for tracking.

Adopting Alma SIS

Comments: Although we're still on the learning curve, it's been a very positive experience.

Pros:

Best part of the interface: It's very intuitive, logical, and organized. Best part for the tech crew: The tech help staff are very helpful, professional, and supportive.

Cons:

Worst part of the interface: The colors can't be customized to be our school colors. Worst part for the tech crew: The people running the system can't impersonate another user, which makes it hard to see what the user is seeing when you're trying to help someone.

Alternatives Considered: Sycamore School and FACTS

Reasons for Choosing Alma SIS: Blackbaud was expensive and complicated to manage.

Switched From: Blackbaud K-12 Solutions

Reasons for Switching to Alma SIS: Our teachers who went to the presentations liked the Alma interface the best.

Used for an elementary, has great services, could be improved.

Pros:

I LOVE the customer service. They are always willing to work with us and help us adapt the program to what we need. I love the many different reporting features and how they each have a unique description that helps me find exactly what I need. I also like that I can star the reports I frequently use. I like that I am able to easily fill in grades in the "gradebook" tab, as well as having the opportunity to quickly report final grades at the end of the term. I am also happy with the ease in resetting a password for a user who has forgotten theirs as well as the quick ability to change a username. I appreciate that many users can have access to the same information (meaning a student and both of their parents can have their own accounts but access the same information on their child). I think overall I am mostly impressed with Alma's support team, how quickly and professionally they respond, how they will not let me leave the conversation until they are satisfied that all of my questions have been answered and my concerns resolved, and I love that they are constantly updating, making the website better, and then sending out an email with all of the updates and detailed instructions on how to utilize them.

Cons:

I feel the website could be slightly more user friendly. There are often times it takes longer than I would like to access the information that I need (a lot of clicking through redundant tabs and not a lot of short cuts). I also wish it was easier for parents to understand the website. I don't like that there is no easy way for a parent to access a student's missing work, instead having to look through each class and assignment to see what has and has not been turned in. I also wish there was a way for us, as administrators and teachers, to see exactly what the parents see. It is hard to give advice and support to a parent when their screen looks different from mine; and I often don't know if they can see everything that I can, like all of the notes and assignment descriptions and what not. Otherwise, I am mostly happy with Alma.

One site for all functions, that's every teacher needs

Comments: Most of the time it's fantastic. I can check the report and study progress not only for this year, but many years ago. And I can see students' progress for other subjects also, it helps me to have an overall vision and understanding to the student's study condition.

Pros:

One site for all functions On alma teachers can take attendance, record study progress, make report card, contact parents and students easily through email automatically, report incident. Parents and students can check the attendance, study progress and contact teacher as well.

Cons:

Sometimes it's out of service. It happened many times already. Showed a Bad Gateway.